U.S. spark production, exports, and prices increasing in 2017

EIA expects sum 2017 U.S. spark prolongation to be 773 million brief tons (MMst), 45 MMst aloft than in 2016 and a largest year-over-year tonnage boost given 2001. Coal prices opposite a United States rose as well, generally for Central Appalachian coal. An boost in direct for U.S. spark exports some-more than equivalent a slight decrease in U.S. spark consumption, contributing to aloft spark prolongation in 2017.

Illustration by U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Coal prolongation in 2017 in a United States was aloft than in 2016 in any of a 5 vital coal-producing regions. The largest informal boost in annual spark prolongation was in a Powder River Basin, where prolongation increasing 8% (26 MMst) in 2017.

EIA attributes 2017 increases in U.S. spark prolongation in partial to a bankruptcy-caused restructuring of several vital spark producers, that resulted in reduce prolongation costs. Even yet U.S. spark expenditure decreased, aloft worldwide direct for U.S. spark led to larger spark production.

Illustration by U.S. Energy Information Administration.

International direct for U.S. spark was driven by Asian and European countries. EIA expects sum U.S. spark exports to strech 95 MMst in 2017, a 58% boost from 2016. Approximately 31 MMst of spark is approaching to be exported to Asia in 2017, scarcely double a volume exported in 2016. U.S. spark exports to Asia increasing as China, Japan, and India looked to equivalent disruptions to their reserve of Australian spark caused by Cyclone Debbie in Apr 2017. Preliminary estimates uncover U.S. spark exports to Europe reaching 40 MMst in 2017, an boost of 13 MMst from a 2016 level.

EIA estimates that sum spark expenditure in a United States will be 719 MMst in 2017, somewhat reduce than a 731 MMst consumed in 2016. About 90% of domestic spark expenditure is in a energy sector, and notwithstanding aloft healthy gas prices in 2017, the coal share of sum 2017 energy generation is approaching to be 30%, a lowest on record and reduce than a healthy gas share for a second uninterrupted year.

Illustration by U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The normal cost of U.S. steam spark used in electricity era increasing in 2017 in several regions. The cost of Central Appalachian coal, driven by clever domestic and general demand, continued an boost that started during a second half of 2016, rising by an additional 29% in 2017, that helped to expostulate a altogether U.S. cost increase. Powder River Basin and Northern Appalachian steam spark mark prices increasing 4% and 10%, respectively, in 2017, stability increases that started in mid-2016. In contrast, Rocky Mountain segment spark prices remained flat, and Illinois Basin spark prices fell by 7%.